HEPATITIS C IN THE BRAZILIAN PUBLIC HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: BURDEN OF DISEASE.

Background: Infection by hepatitis C virus is one of the leading causes of chronic hepatitis C and cause severe burden for patients, families and the health care system.

Objective: The aims of this research were to assess the severity of liver fibrosis, comorbidities and complications of hepatitis C virus; to examine health-related quality of life (HRQoL), productivity loss and resource use and costs in a sample of Brazilian chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1, patients.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional multicenter study performed in genotype-1 chronic hepatitis C patients to assess disease burden in the Brazilian public health care system between November 2014 and March 2015.

Thyroid disturbance related to chronic hepatitis C infection: role of CXCL10.

Association between autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) and hepatitis C is controversial, but may occur or worsen during alpha-interferon treatment. The mechanism responsible for autoimmune diseases in infected patients has not been fully elucidated. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of AITD in chronic hepatitis C and the association of chemokine (CXC motif) ligand 10 (CXCL10) and AITD.

Correlations of CTLA-4 gene polymorphisms and hepatitis C chronic infection.

Background: Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated factor 4 (CTLA-4) functions as a negative regulator of T cell-mediated immune response. Molecular changes associated to CTLA-4 gene polymorphisms could reduce its ability to suppress and control lymphocyte proliferation.

Aims: To evaluate the frequency of CTLA-4 gene polymorphisms in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients and correlate to clinical and histological findings.

Thyroid hormonal disturbances related to treatment of hepatitis C with interferon-alpha and ribavirin.

Objective: To characterize thyroid disturbances induced by interferon-alpha and ribavirin therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Introduction: Interferon-alpha is used to treat chronic hepatitis C infections. This compound commonly induces both autoimmune and non-autoimmune thyroiditis.

[Severe hepatitis and jaundice during the evolution of dengue virus infection: case report].

We describe the case of a female patient who presented a condition of dengue hemorrhagic fever that evolved with jaundice and significant coagulation abnormalities. Dengue was diagnosed through the presence of anti-dengue IgM antibodies (MAC-ELISA). This disease needs to be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis for acute febrile jaundice.